What to know
- As part of the city’s snow clearing response, drivers are currently being prohibited from parking along snow routes, including all roads with streetcar tracks.
- Some transit riders are suggesting that the city should keep the no-parking rules at all times, beyond just snow clearing efforts.
- TTCriders Campaign Manager August Pantitlán Puranauth says parking restrictions could help make transit more reliable and reduce delays across the city.
With Toronto’s Major Snowstorm Condition still in effect, some transit riders are suggesting the city should create permanent “no-parking zones” on major downtown roads, beyond snow removal days.
After a historic storm covered the city with over 50 cm of snow last month, Toronto is still under a Major Snowstorm Condition and Significant Weather Event declarations.
While the declarations are in effect, drivers are prohibited from parking on snow routes across the city, which include all roads with temporary “snow route” signage and those with streetcar tracks.
According to the city, drivers who park in prohibited areas might face a fine of up to $500 or even have their car towed at their own expense.
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Toronto police tells Now Toronto that between the first major storm event in the city this year on Jan. 15 and Jan. 30, 21,660 vehicles have been ticketed for parking on snow routes, while 66 have been towed and 30 relocated.
Riders support no-parking zones
As cars are currently prohibited from parking on roads with streetcar tracks, transit riders online said the service has been beneficial for their daily commutes, significantly reducing delays.
And some of these riders are also calling on the city to implement no-parking zones across major downtown roads permanently.
“Suspending street parking during the snowstorm was a MIRACLE for traffic downtown. Why can’t we do this all the time? Streetcars moved faster, car traffic moved faster. My daily headache went away. I’m looking at you, on-street parking along Adelaide West/ Queen West/Ossington. What can/will City Council do about this to improve life for the 1.5 million people living and working downtown?” one person wrote on Reddit.
“I have been saying this for years. No parked cars on any downtown major street, at any time. With the number of parking garages around there is zero reason why there is street parking on major roads,” another person said.
“I’ve been thinking this forever. Honestly, there should be no parked cars along major/main streets at all, ever. Go park in a private lot or a Green P to explore a neighbourhood, or park on a residential street,” a different person said.
“Yup! Specifically Nov-Feb no parking on King, Queen, Dundas, College [streets]. Even year round there should be no parking along streetcar routes!! It just doesn’t work!!” Another user added.
In fact, local transit advocacy group TTCriders Campaign Manager August Pantitlán Puranauth tells Now Toronto many commuters have been asking for parking restrictions on streets with TTC service for some time.
“We had our streetcar summit back in November, and it was attended by hundreds of transit users. And one of the most popular quick solutions that people wanted to see happen was the removal of street parking along busy TTC routes,” he said on Tuesday.
Puranauth explained that despite blocking streetcar tracks during snow events, street parking near transit routes slow down streetcar service even outside of wintertime.
“So, we want to see more removal of street parking, and also more space on the street for transit with dedicated lanes and such,” he added.
The campaign manager also says riders have noticed improvements in service along Bathurst St. since the city implemented transit priority lanes, reducing car traffic to only one lane and removing street parking in the area, with many reporting “more reliable and quick commutes.”
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“So, expanding that to more routes would really speed up transit and make it more of an appealing option for people, because fundamentally, a handful of empty cars shouldn’t hold up streetcar lines that are carrying tens of thousands of people.”
The City of Toronto reminded residents that parking along snow routes, including those with streetcar tracks, remains prohibited as the Major Snowstorm Condition is still in effect, but didn’t respond when asked about keeping the no-parking rules in effect permanently. s.
“The City of Toronto has a new Strategic Parking Framework that guides the City divisions and agencies responsible for aspects of parking management through a common lens aimed at helping to keep Toronto moving,” a spokesperson for the city said in an email.
